Photos of Indiana's Historic Courthouses, along with some others
Like any 90s kid, I know a thing or two about LEGOs. I still play with them today through official CAD software that lets me design things without losing pieces or later finding them wedged into the soft part of my foot. Last spring, a miniature Fort Wayne I created as an homage to the […]
Read More Gibson County- Princeton (1884-)In times of political polarization and calculated discord like these, it’s nice to remember a simpler era when parties could occasionally join forces for the common good. In what was called a “rare display of public unity1,” Democratic and Republican commissioners of St. Joseph County came together to approve plans for a new satellite courthouse […]
Read More St. Joseph County- Mishawaka (1980-)I’ve been to some small places on this project, including those that don’t even exist on a map. Towns like Rome, Wilmington, and Fredonia -all thriving county seats two hundred years ago- have long since been bypassed, eclipsed, and forgotten. That’s unfortunate, but a project to document all of Indiana’s historic county courthouses must mean all […]
Read More Jennings County- Vernon (1857-)Hoosiers like to celebrate our accomplishments. When we complete civic projects, the festivities often include things like a ribbon-cutting, speeches from dignitaries or stakeholders, balloons, music, and even fireworks. Pretty low on the list of typical events are 2,000-person confederate raids that pillage our hometown. But that’s what the nearly-finished Ripley County Courthouse in Versailles […]
Read More Ripley County- Versailles (1863-)Ahoy! Welcome to another installment of Courthousery. Martin County is a fascinating place. Most of the land there, near the Hoosier National Forest, has a lot of trees as you might imagine. Gypsum was discovered in the mid-1900s, and today two major mines -including the nation’s deepest (515 feet)- employ hundreds of locals1. When they’re […]
Read More Martin County- Shoals (1877-2002)Nashville’s a hot tourist Mecca for many who want to experience a romantic getaway, unique crafts, and great music while letting go of their suburban inhibitions and seeing what the country life has to offer. That’s Nashville, Indiana, by the way- not the capital of the Volunteer State. Gotcha!
Read More Brown County- Nashville (1873-)Let me do some quick calculations here: I’ve driven more than 10,000 miles to courthouses in four states, and I’ve spent more than 170 hours behind the wheel- that’s an average of nearly 58 miles per hour. I’ve made decent time! I’ve covered all of Indiana’s courthouses, most in central Michigan, all of western Ohio, […]
Read More Switzerland County- Vevay (1862-)One of the first things I learned during this project is that I really hate the “new urbanist” style that defines the new central district of Carmel and other similar developments. For me, the trope is useless in today’s society- we’ve moved beyond the historic construct of a European city center, and the thought that […]
Read More Scott County-Scottsburg (1873/1997-)The bluffs that rise above the Ohio River in southern Indiana are truly a sight to behold. Around Leavenworth, the road sits nearly two hundred feet above the normal pool of the Ohio River1. That’s four feet taller than the courthouse in Terre Haute! If you get off I-64 and take Indiana Route 66 south, […]
Read More Crawford County- Fredonia (1822-1843)We’ve discussed the biggest Indiana courthouse here and here over the past few weeks, and we discussed the state’s most opulent back in April. Today, we’re going to branch off and talk about the Indiana’s modest modest. Or, at least it was for forty-five years.
Read More Crawford County- English (1958-2003)
Courthousery 